Alarm warned ice rink staff early about ammonia leak

Friday

Feb 22, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 22, 2013 at 10:03 PM

Fourteen hours before the Norwich Ice Rink was evacuated because of an ammonia leak, the first alarm noting a problem in the compressor that eventually failed was triggered, according to an incident report issued Thursday.

Adam Benson

Fourteen hours before the Norwich Ice Rink was evacuated because of an ammonia leak, the first alarm noting a problem in the compressor that eventually failed was triggered, according to an incident report issued Thursday.

At roughly 7 a.m. on Feb. 13, rink maintenance employee Bill Desmond arrived to an alarm going off that he traced to a compressor. After checking its oil levels, Desmond reset the machine and continued his shift.

By 4:38 p.m., William Christian, the rink’s maintenance manager, noted that ammonia was “mid to high level in site gauges.” At 6 p.m., several parents alerted Rink Manager Mia Sanca of a “strong ammonia smell” coming from a back hallway area and by 7 p.m., the building’s ammonia alarm had activated. An hour later, the compressor seal blew.

That was at 8 p.m., but it wasn’t until 40 minutes later when Ice Rink Authority chairman Peter Desaulniers “demands Ms. Sanca evacuate building and call 911,” according to a chronology made public Thursday by the rink’s governing board at a meeting attended by 15 people.

But it wasn’t until 9 p.m. that the facility was “completely evacuated,” according to the chronology.

By 10:30 p.m., state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials arrived on the scene and worked through the night, eventually declaring the site safe for occupancy by 7 a.m. on Feb. 14.

The investigation, based on one-on-one interviews and written reports from rink employees, was sanctioned by the authority last Saturday — three days after the leak forced a complete halt of operations at the 641 New London Turnpike complex.

Officials have set a “target date” of March 6 for activities to resume at the facility —three weeks after the leak.

Sanca said the extended closure will result in more than $30,000 of lost revenue from reserved ice time, birthday parties and other events.

Desaulniers said the authority is still waiting for environmental assessments by state regulators before formally concluding its probe.

“The investigation will continue and upon the completion of all findings, the appropriate actions will be taken,” Desaulniers said.

The document’s release capped a busy meeting for the authority that included an opinion from Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll that the board could not unilaterally enter into an agreement with a Michigan-based provider of geothermal energy systems.

“It has to go through the process of an RFP (request for proposal) and very possibly the City Council,” Desaulniers said.
Sprague resident Mike McCullough, a board member of the Southeastern Connecticut Seahawks Youth Hockey League, urged the authority not to act hastily in reopening the rink for public use.

“Every customer here understands what it would be like if this rink wasn’t here. I know it’s been a nightmare the past week and a half trying to find ice elsewhere. Long term, we all want this place to succeed,” he said. “I hope as you’re evaluating what the long-term solution is going to be here, you’re also considering what that means for this building.”

Also Thursday, the authority unanimously agreed to solicit management proposals for the rink that could lead to a private firm overseeing its day-to-day operations, but officials were clear the facility itself would not be sold off.

“We are not selling this rink. It’s not going to happen,” Desaulniers said. “Nor are we privatizing.”